Withdrawal and recall are the obligations under the General Food Law requiring a food business operator to remove unsafe food from the market and, where it has reached consumers, to retrieve it, notifying competent authorities immediately.
In trade practice
Withdrawal covers product still in the supply chain, such as stock held at a distributor or retailer’s warehouse, while recall extends the action to end consumers and typically requires a public communication. The food business operator must notify the competent authority without delay and provide batch details, distribution scope and the reason for the action. Traceability records linking raw material batches to finished goods and despatch records determine how widely the action must reach. Private food safety schemes such as BRCGS and IFS Food require documented withdrawal and recall procedures that are tested through mock exercises at least annually.
In a specification
Supply agreements commonly require the supplier to maintain a documented withdrawal and recall procedure and to notify the buyer within a defined number of hours of identifying a potential unsafe product situation.